Santa Maria in Domnica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Santa Maria in Domnica — also known as Santa Maria alla Navicella — is a basilica church in Rome. The church was built no later than the 7th century. The Cardinal Deacon of the Titulus S. Mariae in Domnica is William Joseph Levada.
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[edit] Origin
The church was built in ancient times, close to the barracks of the 5th cohort of Vigiles. Pope Paschal I, who is to be credited for the age of renovation and artistic splendour that happened in Rome in early 9th century, rebuilt the church in 818-822, providing it with a noteworthy musive decoration.
Pope Leo X renovated the church, and Andrea Sansovino directed the works.
[edit] Name
The attribute "in Domnica" has been differently explained. One interpretation is the derivation from dominicum, which means "of the Lord", and by extension "church".[1] Another interpretation refers to the name of Cyriaca, a woman who lived close by, and whose name means "belonging to the Lord", dominica in Latin.[2]
The attribute "alla Navicella" means "near the little ship", and refers to the Roman sculpture of a ship that has been placed in front of the church for a long time, turned into a fountain by Leo X.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Armellini, Mariano, Le chiese di Roma dal secolo IV al XIX[1]
- Thayer, Bill, "S. Maria in Domnica", Gazetteer
